While high-flyers Al Ahli got back to business with a massive win, Al Rayyan started their campaign revival with a 6-2 routing of Umm Salal.

It should not come as a surprise anymore that Al Ahli were the standout performers in a goal-stacked week that saw the Ooredoo Stars League resume for its second half.

For Igor Biscan’s side, it has been regular business to win this season. Al Wakrah were their latest prey, and the 6-3 win looked nothing out of the blue, despite the scoreline.

After all, this is a side that has maintained its shoulders with Al Sadd for the second spot, with both sides now at 25 points each, three shy of leaders Al Duhail. Saturday’s performance at the Al Thumama Stadium was yet another testament to their form this season.

Although the Wakrah side under new head coach Poya Asbaghi, took the lead through Ayoub Assal’s goal in the 11th minute, Al Ahli were already back in their rhythm by the end of the half.

In form duo of Sekou Yansane and Julian Draxler picked up from where they left, with the former scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute, followed by Draxler’s 36th-minute strike, his seventh of the ongoing season.

Things got worse for Al Wakrah when Alexander Scholz was set off after his second yellow of the night, opening up more opportunities for the opponents in the second half.

While Robin Tihi added a third in the 55th minute, Erik Exposito — who has been a revelation this season — joined the party with a goal eight minutes after the hour mark. Yansane and Exposito then doubled their tally with strikes in the 71st and eighth minute of added time respectively.

Although Assal and Ricardo Gomes found the net in the second half for Al Wakrah, it mattered little, as the side now sit seventh with six defeats in twelve league games. Indeed, a long road awaits for the southern club and their new manager, Asbaghi.

Al Rayyan start strong with Jorge

Another team that had a new man at the helm was Asbaghi’s former side, Al Rayyan, who outplayed Umm Salal to win 6-2 in Artur Jorge’s first game in charge.

The side had to brush off a brief scare at the Grand Hamad Stadium, as Antonio Mance and Oussama Rannane scored in quick succession to overturn Roger Guedes’ leading goal in the sixth minute.

That was the only flash of light that Umm Salal would see in the match, however, as Al Rayyan came all guns blazing to score five, with players taking turns among themselves to score.

First, it was Achraf Bencharki who scored two within eight minutes past the60 minutes mark. For a player whose future seemed uncertain at the club in the start of the season, the brace could well act as a revival, for both him and Al Rayyan.

It was then Guedes on the scoresheet again in the 77th minute, who now trails Al Shamal’s Baghdad Bounedjah by just one goal in the Mansour Muftah trophy, given to the top scorer of the league. His goal was followed up well by Tamim Mansour, who struck in the 84th minute and David Garcia’s 88th-minute strike.

Al Rayyan are now fifth on the table, tied with Al Shamal, on 16 points.

Al Arabi, Al Duhail, and Al Gharafa win comfortably

Al Rayyan were not the only club that got the result they were looking for, to spark a potential comeback in the season.

Al Arabi’s 3-1 win over Al Shahania was a vital one, for a side that still has a packed squad, but was threatened with relegation as the league paused for the winter break.

Spanish playmaker Rodri Sanchez shone at the Al Thumama Stadium for the Reds to score a brace within the 26th minute, his first goal coming just three minutes earlier.

By the time Al Shahania’s in-form attacker Pelle van Amersfoort scored with just three minutes of regular time left in the second half, it was already too late as Isaac Lihadji had tripled the lead.

With the win, Al Arabi are now ninth, three clear of a relegation play-off spot, currently occupied by Qatar SC, who were outclassed by leaders Al Duhail on Sunday.

Full-back Homam Ahmed scored a first-half brace to comfortably maintain Duhail’s upper hand in the first half, whereas Almoez Ali’s late cameo saw them go 4-0 up in the second minute of added time.

Al Duhail’s playmakers were in full swing, as both of Ahmed’s goals in the 11th and the 36th minute were assisted by Luis Alberto, followed by Edmilson Junior’s assist for Ali’s 90th-minute strike. It was Ahmed who assisted Ali’s last strike before Qatar SC’s consolation came through Youssef Mohamed Ali’s strike four minutes later.

The win has allowed Al Duhail to maintain their three-point lead at the top of the table as they look to maintain their run from the first half of the season.

Comfortable winners of the 13th matchday also included Al Gharafa, who registered a 3-1 win over the relegation-threatened Al Khor side with a commanding performance at home.

Yacine Brahimi opened the scoring from the penalty spot three minutes after the half-hour mark in Thani bin Jassim Stadium as Spanish forward Joselu doubled the lead just ten minutes after.

Despite a 58th-minute strike from Al Khor’s Sofiane Hanni, Al Gharafa held on and held on, before Ahmed Al-Ganehi made it 3-1 in the third minute of injury time.

Al Khor, who shocked everyone to register their first win of the season against Al Duhail just before the winter break, currently sit last with just seven points on board.

Al Gharafa, on the flip side, are a point below Al Sadd and Al Ahli in the fourth spot, four shy of the table toppers.

Al Sadd escape Al Shamal with a narrow win

Lightning did not strike twice, as Al Sadd narrowly beat Al Shamal to avoid a similar scenario that had marred their start to the season earlier on.

It was a 2-1 opening-day loss against Al Shamal, inspired by their former striker Baghdad Bounedjah’s brace, that marked a shaky start to their title defence under Felix Sanchez.

On Sunday at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, there were echoes of that defeat, yet Yusuf Abdurisag’s strike in the 74th minute made sure the defending champions remained on track, just barely. By then, Al Shamal had a goal ruled out for offside.

On the other hand, it was also a display of how far Al Sadd have come in terms of salvaging wins out of tricky matches.

Felix Sanchez’s side last loss came in September, when they were drubbed 5-1 by leaders Al Duhail. Their unbeaten streak from then on has extended to AFC Champions League Elite as the Wolves qualified to the knockouts unbeaten so far.

A lot of work is still to be done, however. They trail Duhail by three points and if both sides maintain the tempo, the clash on February 22 could prove to be the title decider. Until then, it will be a challenge to keep up, considering the injuries as well as the tight schedule due to the Qatar-UAE Super Cup and the ACL Elite fixtures.